Aude

For as long as I can remember, flying had always been a very unpleasant moment for me. I would go through tears and panic attacks, stop sleeping and eating a week before the flight, and endure the plane as if I would never get through it. Caught in a vicious circle, each flight felt worse than the last. Until early 2013 I decided (without much conviction, I must admit) to sign up for the course, at least so I could “say I had tried everything”.

To my great surprise, the three days in Geneva were as enriching as they were intense; I immediately felt accepted by this big family of (ex-)aviophobes. The flight went much better than I had imagined, thanks in particular to an exceptional coach who accompanied me, and a month later I tentatively booked a flight to Madrid.

And there, I who disliked leaving home and my landmarks, who panicked at the idea of leaving my loved ones — I left all my fears and anxieties on the Geneva tarmac, and after a perfect flight I arrived in Madrid almost euphoric. That was the start of my new freedom!

After that I flew to Nice, London, Istanbul; the fear receded a little more each time, and eight months later my anxieties had flown away for good. I discovered the intense pleasure a plane trip can bring and finally admired the magnificent view from up there that I had ignored for so long! I feel free and full of energy; projects follow one another and I no longer doubt; I go alone for a long stay abroad, move house, take decisions I should have taken long ago….

I understood that fear of flying hid many others, and by choosing to face it I also made peace with myself. Today I admit I am completely fascinated by aviation, and I look forward to every new chance to fly and to see the team that gave me so much again. I am finally myself, as I had dreamed of being. For me the course was nothing other than the beginning of freedom!